OKLAHOMA CITY (May 14, 2025)—Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small issued the following statement today after members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives provided final passage to legislation creating the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2025, sending the bill to the governor. 

“Unfortunately, Oklahoma is among the most heavily regulated states in the nation with 142,313 regulations on the books and more being added every year,” Small said. “We have roughly twice as many state regulations as neighboring Kansas, and only 16 states impose more regulations than Oklahoma does. The REINS Act provides a way to bring government regulations under control and reduce their growth in the future.”

House Bill 2728, by state Rep. Gerrid Kendrix and state Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, would create the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2025.

Under the bill, the existing Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) will independently review and assess the economic impact of major rules proposed by state agencies, examining any rule expected to create implementation and compliance costs of more than $1 million over a five-year period.

The Legislature would then have the option to approve or disapprove the proposed agency rules, and major rules generating high compliance costs could not be tied to non-major rules in any joint resolution regarding their approval.

“Without proper oversight of the state regulatory process, unelected state bureaucrats have the power to effectively enact state law without appropriate cost-benefit analysis,” Small said. “HB 2728 will protect Oklahomans from an out-of-control bureaucracy and make certain that state regulations serve a legitimate purpose specifically outlined in state law. Those who have shepherded this bill to the finish line—particularly state Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, state Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, and Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton—deserve praise for addressing this crucial issue.”

Senate amendments to House Bill 2728 passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives today on a bipartisan 74-12 vote. The bill now proceeds to the governor.